This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

I applaud The Tribune for excellent coverage of the Medicaid expansion issue now before the Utah Legislature. At two hearings of the Health and Human Services Committee, those attending were told that Gov. Gary Herbert will make the decision whether to accept federal funding to expand Medicaid.

Read about this issue at www.utahnsforthemedicaidexpansion.org and www.utahcitizenscounsel.org, then write and urge Herbert to accept Medicaid expansion so all in Utah will have medical insurance. Money will be saved by treating medical problems early on before a trip to the emergency room becomes a necessity.

As Florida's Republican Gov. Rick Scott said when he announced that he would accept Obamacare's expansion of government-funded health care for the poor: "This country is the greatest in the world, and it's the greatest largely because of how we value the weakest among us. … It shouldn't depend on your Zip code or your tax bracket. No mother or father should despair over whether they have access to high-quality health care for their sick child. … I cannot in good conscience deny Floridians that needed access to health care."